Feed chain sprocket mounting and drive therefor



9, 1932- Q A. BTqoHNsoN 1,870,630

FEED CHAIN SPROCKET MOUNTING AND DRIVE THEREFOR Filed Oct. 22, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet l Q Q 'IFF Aug- 3 I A. B. JOHNSON 1,870,630

FEED CHAIN SPROCKET MOUNTING AND DRIVE THEREFOR Aug. 9, 1932. B, HN N 1,870,630

FEED CHAIN SPROGKET MOUNTING AND DRIVE THEREFOR Filed Oct. 22, 1930 .3 Sheets-Sheet 3 El 0 4 30 2 2 2a Patented Aug. 9, 1932 PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR 1B. JOHNSON, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA FEED CHAIN SPROOKET MOUNTING AND DRIVE THEREFOR Application filed October 22, 1930. Serial No. 490,437.

This invention relates to novel mountings for feed chain sprockets and driving connections therebetween and a driven shaft passed substantially axially therethrough and is especially adapted for use in feed mechanisms wherein a plurality of laterally spaced feed chains are employed to engage different portions of the material, such as sheets of insulating board, wall board or the like for T0 the purpose of imparting like feeding movements to the different portions of the material so as to feed the material in a straight line and maintain the same parallel to the chains during feeding movements.

Generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices, combinations of devices and arrangement of, parts hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

The objects and advantages of this invention will be clearly pointed out in the following specification.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a sawing machine having a feed mechanism therefor which incorporates this invention, some parts being broken away;

" Fig. 2 is a front or delivery end view of a machine shown in Fig. 1, some parts being broken away; I

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail View showing some parts in full and some parts in axial section and taken on the irregular line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3. j The main frame of the machine, here illustrated as an entirety by the numeral 5, comprises opposed laterally spaced side plates 6 that are connected by transverse upper and lower cross-ties 7 and 8, respectively. Extending upward from the frame side plates 6, near the front or delivery end of the machine, are saw arbor supporting brackets 9 carried by which, in opposed relation, are bearing blocks 10.

J ournaled near its opposite end'portions in the bearing blocks .10 and extending trans- 14 when feeding versely to the machine is a suitably driven saw arbor 11 mounted on which saw arbor is a plurality of rotary disk saws 12. These saws 12 are normally maintained in driving engagement with the arbor 11 and against axial sliding movements thereon by means of set-screws or the like 18 but said saws 13 may be readily moved axially on the arbor and in respect to one another when said setscrews 13 are loosened.

Extending transversely across the upper cross-ties 7 and supported thereby is a plurality of skid rails 14 that act as supports for material such as the sheet of insulating board y during the time material is being delivered to and past the saws 12. In the arrangement illustrated, the material is simply slid over the surface of the skid rails movements are imparted thereto. These skid rails 14 extend longitudinally of the frame side plates 6 and at right angles to the saw arbor or shaft 11 and said rails are independently adjustable laterally on the cross-ties 7 in respect'toone another.

The skids 14 rest on and are slidable over the surfaces of the upper cross-ties at the front and rear end portions of the machine but are held against forward and rearward movements in respect to the main frame by depending shoulders 15 on the front and rear end portions of the skids 14, that engage the edges of flanges 16 on the said cross-ties 7. The skid rails 14 are held normally against upward movements or lateral sliding movements over the cross-ties 7 by means of clamping lugs or the like 17 carried by the bottoms of the skid rails and arranged to be clamped against the under sides of the flanges 16 by belts or the like 18, which bolts 18 are loosened when it is desired to laterally adjust the skid rails 14. Carried by the opposite end portions of each skid rail 14, within bifurcated end portions 19 thereof are chain sprockets 20 that are engaged in longitudinally spaced, 95 longitudinally aligned relation so that one sprocket at each end of each skid rail 14 is aligned with a sprocket at the other end of the same rail and arranged to run over the aligned sprockets 20 are endless feed chains 100 therein, which sprocket 2O carrled thereby and the slots 24' 21, the upper portions of which chains, intermediate the bifurcated end portions of the respective rails 14, work in longitudinal chain grooves 22 on said rails. It will here be noted by reference to the drawings that in the arrangement illustrated, there is only one sprocket at each end of each of the outer skid rails 14 and that there are twosprockets at each end of each of the intermediate rails 14 and further that the sprocketsat the same ends of the intermediate rails are formed on common hubs 23. .Theisaws 13 are adapted and arranged to extend below the surfaces of the skid rails 14 and work-in slots-24'therein. These slots 24, in the outer skid rails, are located just outside of the'chain groove 22 roove is aligned with the in the intermediate rails are located between chain grooves therein.

The chain grooves 21, on their forward movement, work through the grooves 22 and are slid below the upper surfaces of therails so that they do not directly engage the ma terial 3 but said chains 21 carry'driving lugs 25 that project above the upper surfaces of said rails in transverse alignment parallel to the saw arbor 12 and are each adapted to engage the rear end of a sheet of-material 1 and impart like driving movements thereto to and past thesaws 12, which saws cut the material into aplurality of'strips of a desired wid'th and trim the edges thereof. 'It is, of course, highly important,rwhen cutting large sheets of insulating board into smallerpieces to be used in refrigeratorWva-lls or the like wherein accurate dimensions of material is necessary, to make neat, tight-joints, that the driving lugs'25 be'maintained at all times in true alignment and therefor in true parallel relation to the saw arbor 11. It will, ofcourse, be readily apparent thatif any one of the driving lugs were permitted to out ahead of the others thereof, the material would be moved thereby out of true alignment with the saws 12 and arbor 11 and the sides of the finished strips would not be at a true rightangle to the'front and rear edges thereof, as desired. By mounting and driving the sprockets 20 in accordance with my invention, presently to bedescribed, such inaccuracies are obviated because the lugs 25 when oncealigned will remain aligned over a long period of time.

The chain sprockets 20, at the rear end of the machine, are idlers and are journaled between bifurcated rear end portions of their respective skid rails 14 on stud shafts 26 carried'bysaid rails. The sprockets 20, at the front or delivery end of each of the rails 14, are mounted on and for movements with the sleeve" 27 that is journaled near its opposite ends in the particular railby means of antifrictionbearings28 that are seated in cylindrical bores 29 in the rails. These anti-friction bearings 28 each comprise a fixed outer 20, at the delivery or front end of the mach ine are fixed against movements on the sleeves27'b'y set-screws or the like 37.

gPassed substantially axiallythrough each of the sleeves 27 and journaled independent thereof nearvits opposite ends in the main frame 6 at 38, is a shaft 39 that is arranged to be-driven-from a suitably driven shaft 40 through connections comprising a sprocket 4i on theshaft- 40, a sprocket 42 fast on; theshait. 39 and a chain 43 running oversaidsprocketmr Thisshaft'39 is smaller =in-diameter than the; inside bore of the tubular sleeve:27.-to afiord clearance therebetween'and the sleeves that willpennit-slight eccentric movements of the: shaft 39 in the sleeves 27 and free axial move ments of the-sleeves thereon. 1, v V v:

The sprockets 20, at the. front or delivery end of the machine,=are all connected tothe driven shaft 39 for common rotary 'movements therewith irres ective of their-axial. positions thereon by driving connections comprising a long key-way 44 cut in the shaft. 39, and extending substantially full length thereof and keys 45 carried by thesprocket sleeves 27 and arranged to workinthe key-sway 44. It will now be noted by reference to F ig3 that there is sufficient clearancebetweenthe' keys 45 and the bottom of theikey-way MJto permit free eccentric movements ofthedriven shaft 39'within the sleeves,if suchia tendency exists. In this arrangement, when thezpositions of thesaws are changed in respect to one another to out stripsof difi'erentwidthgthe guide rails maybe moved to a cornectposie tion in respect thereto without encounteri any binding between the shaft 39 anrlisprockets thereoneven though theshaft'39 is slight 1y out of alignment or slightly bentandllso in spite I of inaccuracies: in the shaft, are aligned thereto. The several sprockets there on will always remain in the same-a1" n at irrespective of their positionson'the; a ft m eccentric movements thereof within; the sleeves 27. By thus driving thezsprocketsin common and maintaining the sameuiagainst movements in respect to one another, the drive lugs,'carried by the chains 21 that run there over, will remain in a pre-set alignments) that they will at all times impart likeifeeding movements to the materialwhich will result in accurate cutting.

What I claimis: v

1. In a feed" mechanism; a plurality of spacedrotating feed members, a drive-shaft substantiallyconcentric to. but loose inthe said feed members, means for j ournallizig and iao maintaining the feed members in accurate axial alignment independently of the drive shaft, and driving connections between the drive shaft and feed members for imparting like rotary motion thereto but permitting eccentric motion of the shaft in respect to the feed members.

2. A feed mechanism comprising a plurality of spared rotary feed members, laterally spaced endless feeding devices arranged to run over and be positively driven one by each of the said rotary feed members, a drive shaft passed substantially concentrically through but loose in the said rotary feeding members, means for journalling and maintaining the rotary feed members in true axial alignment independently of the drive shaft, and driving connections between the drive shaft and rotary feed members operative to impart like rotary motion thereto but to permit eccentric motion of the shaft in respect to the feed members.

3. In a feed mechanism, spaced parallel rails for supporting material being fed, a plurality of rotary feed members journalled one in each of said rails for true rotary movements in respect thereto and in axial alignment with one another, a drive shaft passed substantially concentrically through but loose in and journalled independently of said rotary feeding members, means supporting the said rails independently of the drive shaft and guiding the same for true lateral adjust ing movements that will maintain the rotary feeding members in true axial alignment independent of the drive shaft, endless feeding devices running over the rotary feed members and their respective rails for feeding material over said rails, and driving connections between the shaft and rotary feeding members operative to impart like rotary movements thereto and permitting eccentric movements of the shaft therein and axial movements of said feeding members thereon. In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ARTHUR B. JOHNSON. 

